May 30, 2023

Announcing 68 semi-finalists of the Green Changemakers Challenge!

 

 

Green Changemakers Challenge

The threats facing our planet are gaining pace, and we find ourselves racing towards an ecological crisis. This is a collective challenge, one that requires every person to step up and take action. Recognizing the need to identify and support changemakers at the frontier of this green movement, Ashoka and HSBC collaborated on the ‘Green Changemakers Challenge’ - an open innovation challenge that launched in February 2023. 

With over 400 eligible applications received from 31 countries, the Green Changemakers Challenge has shown us the diverse ways in which people across the world are actively stepping into their role as changemakers – building a more regenerative and inclusive future for the world – and helping those around them do the same. 

We are delighted to announce that 68 of these incredible innovations make it to the next phase of this year's challenge, as semi-finalists. 

A little about the challenge review process:

  • All applications were scored against the Challenge criteria.
  • 51 reviewers – from Ashoka, HSBC and our network partners – reviewed the applications, ensuring each application was reviewed by at least 2 people for complete fairness.
  • Applicants themselves also had the chance to engage in a peer-review process, and every application received at least 2 additional peer reviews, for a robust evaluation. 
"The genuineness and the passion that you see in these applications are unique, and, to me, they revive me. They give me this boost of energy, of hope, that we need to see in this world." - HSBC reviewer 

After an eye-opening few weeks of reviewing, here are the 68 applicants who are moving to the next phase as semi-finalists. Their work and team demonstrate innovation, impact, and commitment to activating green changemakers.

Those with primary impact in Africa & the Middle East: 

  1. $0.7 low-cost lantern made from waste plastic bottles, bags, and e-waste lithium-ion batteries (Nigeria 🇳🇬) 

  1. Amanzi ethu Nobuntu (Our water and Humanity) - Work for the common good, and learn for the future (South Africa 🇿🇦) 

  1. Clean Energy; More Food from Organic Waste (Nigeria 🇳🇬) 

  1. Climate Adaptation for Semi-Urban Women Through Urban Strawberry Farming (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Combining E-Mobility, Technology and Gender Lens in Climate change (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Dunia Bora (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Eduponics Go Green: Combining Cooperative education and aquaponic farming in South Africa (South Africa 🇿🇦)  

  1. Empowering Women as Green Changemakers in Africa (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. FarmSmarter app - putting profitable sustainable farming in the smallholders pocket (Nigeria 🇳🇬) 

  1. Fossil Free Zones (United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪) 

  1. Fruity schools and health centres in Kenya (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Habitual Recycling Network (Nigeria 🇳🇬) 

  1. Leveraging waste to alleviate  poverty across Africa (Nigeria 🇳🇬) 

  1. Mathenge for Briquettes: Gliricidia for Baringo (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Plstka: From Trash to Gold (Egypt 🇪🇬) 

  1. Quality climate education (Nigeria 🇳🇬) 

  1. Solar powered crop protection equipment for small holder farmers (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Ubuni Green - Sanitation Circular Economy for Diapering (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Vermi-Farm Initiative (Kenya 🇰🇪) 

  1. Women Recyclers Empowerment Initiative (WREI) (Nigeria 🇳🇬) 
     

Those with primary impact in the Americas: 

  1. ARMONIZA - CONSERVACIÓN & COMUNIDAD (Chile 🇨🇱) 

  1. ColliSafe, An organic upclying process (Argentina 🇦🇷) 

  1. Environmental Education Through Native mini forests in Public Schools in Brazil (Brazil 🇧🇷) 

  1. Healing Earth’s Soil (USA 🇺🇸) 

  1. Jovenes por el clima (Argentina 🇦🇷) 

  1. Meli Network (Brazil 🇧🇷) 

  1. METTA: Sustainable water for the global Drought (Chile 🇨🇱) 

  1. Plan V App, tu guía veggie for the planet (Chile 🇨🇱) 

  1. Promoting a sustainable, inclusive and regenerative chain with local producers in the Amazon (Brazil 🇧🇷) 

  1. SemiYA! – Youth Activation through Outdoors, Land Based Learning and Wellness (USA 🇺🇸) 

  1. School of the (Im)Possible (Brazil 🇧🇷) 

  1. Talanoa (Brazil 🇧🇷) 

  1. Threading Change for a Circular Fashion Future (Canada 🇨🇦) 

  1. Urban Garden Project (USA 🇺🇸) 
     

Those with primary impact in Europe & Oceania: 

  1. Carbon Copy (UK (including Channel Islands) 🇬🇧) 

  1. Community Climate Centre (UK (including Channel Islands) 🇬🇧) 

  1. Concular - The digital ecosystem for circular construction (Germany 🇩🇪) 

  1. Ecogenia: Building a youth climate corps in Greece (Greece 🇬🇷) 

  1. EcoVida Routes: A Sygnature Sustainability Leadership Programme (UK (including Channel Islands) 🇬🇧) 

  1. Football For Future (UK (including Channel Islands) 🇬🇧) 

  1. Promoting a jurisprudence of the Earth: education through action (France 🇫🇷) 

  1. PROSUMIO - Sustainable Action-Learning App for Changemakers (Germany 🇩🇪) 

  1. Re-Action Collective (UK (including Channel Islands) 🇬🇧) 

  1. Regenerative Skincare (Australia 🇦🇺) 

  1. The Young Green Briton Challenge (UK (including Channel Islands) 🇬🇧) 

  1. Youth STEM 2030 (UK (including Channel Islands) 🇬🇧) 
     

Those with primary impact in South & East Asia: 

  1. 52 Parindey Fellowship (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. Aunkur : Climate Smart Digital Agricultural Advisory System for Smallholder Farmers (Bangladesh 🇧🇩) 

  1. Biopac: Ocean-based Solution for Plastic Free Ocean (Indonesia 🇮🇩) 

  1. Buangdisini ("Place Trash here" in Indonesian): Waste Management Socialization (Indonesia 🇮🇩) 

  1. BubbleNut Wash: Bio-based detergents made from renewable sources (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. Climate Smart Farming – Empowering Farmers to Multiply Impact (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. Conserving Seed, Enriching Lives (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. District Development Unit: Building Climate Resilient Communities (Hong Kong 🇭🇰) 

  1. Fight for Dignity, a movement to strengthening the community  through community-based ecotourism (Indonesia 🇮🇩) 

  1. From the Frontlines: A Storytelling Project for Climate Resilience (Philippines 🇵🇭) 

  1. Handprint Tech: Infrastructure for the Regenerative Economy (Indonesia 🇮🇩) 

  1. Hexpressions (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. Impact Collective (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. Merah Putih Hijau: Building Eco Champions to support sustainable waste management systems (Indonesia 🇮🇩) 

  1. PlastiSkul : Enabling changemakers through microfactories for plastic waste (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. RebelBase: Democratizing entrepreneurship (Bangladesh 🇧🇩) 

  1. Smart Reusables: Reuse into Rewards (Malaysia 🇲🇾) 

  1. Takachar: enabling rural, underserved communities to turn trash into cash (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. Tsikiting Bukid (Little Farmers) (Philippines 🇵🇭) 

  1. Upcycle municipal organic waste into nutritious animal feed for farmers (Vietnam 🇻🇳) 

  1. Waatavaran - Climate, Environment and Sustainability Foundation (India 🇮🇳) 

  1. Waste-Less: From food waste to nutritionally-balanced dog food (Hong Kong 🇭🇰) 

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